Book #1

I was asked by our church to participate with a group of individuals in reading 5 books over 5 weeks. Then, apparently, this group will meet and discuss ideas regarding....something....maybe children's ministry? Or maybe a more wholistic approach; what could be coined "family ministry?" To be honest, I'm not really sure. Either way, I said yes to the project because I've never really been able to say "no," and you know what? I'm glad I said yes. I'm loving these books so far. I feel challenged and inspired and informed, and if nothing else, I think I may be just a little better of a parent because of all this reading.

But on that note, reading a book in a week is currently challenging for me. Even though I've set aside the other two books I'm personally reading, and even though these books are "quick reads" and under 200 pages, it's still a big task for me - finding time, finding quiet space, remembering the few sentences I read in between interruptions, etc.

The first book I was given, Transforming Children Into Spiritual Champions by George Barna, had enough statistics in the first few chapters to kill a horse. I appreciate the decades of research the author has performed, but his writing style was very scientific and, well...brutal. It took sheer determination for me to turn each page, but I got through it and I'm very glad I did.

The basic premise of the book is that children matter and should be placed at a very high priority by the Church. If children aren't reached with and personally affected by God's truth at a young age, the chances of them embracing a biblical worldview later are slim - not impossible, because nothing is impossible with God, but statistically slim.

The author then turned the tables a bit, directing his attention and thesis style writing on parents. He made a very strong biblical case for what most of us know, parents are called by God to be their children's spiritual teachers. It's not the Church's job, although the Church does right in assisting, coaching, and encouraging. And it's not gonna happen by default because our trendy, humanistic, and self-centered culture is a very strong foe of the biblical worldview.

I get this. I know this. I feel this. I have a sense of the large-ness of this God-given task. And I try....and seemingly fail....and I try.....and seemingly fail.....and I try, try, try.

For me, this is the point where Barna brought it home. Whether it be me at home with my kids, whether it be my husband and I crammed in a little Sunday school room with a dozen 2-4 year olds, or whether it be church administration deciding what theme to have for Vacation Bible School, the spiritual training of children needs to be addressed intentionally. (There's that word again.)

Instead of throwing a bunch of cute Bible stories out there and hoping something sticks, Barna proposes setting goals, learning objectives if you will; identifying what's worth teaching our children, what's gonna put them on track for developing a biblical worldview. And at the core of intentionality is evaluation: what's working, what's not working, what can we do better?

I really wish I still had the book in front of me because there was a couple sentences that struck me. I've already given the book back to church and am working my way through the second book so I will attempt to paraphrase:

Think about the plan that you have for your sales calls, housekeeping, meal prepartion. You wouldn't think of going about such things without a plan. Isn't your children's spiritual training worth just as much, and more, preparation, planning, and intentionality?

I'm not entirely sure what is the best way to strategically address my children's spiritual training. I'm always trying something......and always wondering if I'm doing enough or doing it "right." I feel inadequate. And you wanna know the dirty secret about being intentional?  It's exhausting.  But here's what I tell myself: I'm exhuasted anyway. Why not be exhausted for the right reasons?

To finally wrap up this wordy post, I have to "quotes" from my Mother-in-law:

God didn't call you to be successful. He called you to be faithful.

God doesn't call the equipped. He equips the called. (In my words, God didn't give my husband and me these precious kids because we have what it takes to raise them up to be Godly citizens.  God will give us what it takes to raise these kids because He gave us these kids.)